Military

U.S. Praises Cease-Fire Efforts and Peace Talks in Sri Lanka

(Answer to question taken at November 5 State Department Briefing)
(230)
Following is the official answer to a question taken at the November 5
regular State Department briefing; the answer was posted later in the
day:
(begin text)
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
November 5, 2002
Taken Question from November 5, 2002 Daily Press Briefing
Sri Lanka:  Peace Talks
Question: Do you have any comments on conclusion of second round of
peace talks?
Answer: The second session of negotiations between the Sri Lankan
government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was held in
Thailand from October 31 - November 3.
We praise the commitment of both sides to sustain the cease-fire and
move forward with the peace process, including their agreement to an
expanded schedule of meetings in the coming months. The U.S. also
welcomes the decision of both sides to form sub-committees focused on
humanitarian, de-escalation, and political issues.
The U.S. looks forward to participating in the November 25 conference
in Oslo, which will focus on improving the humanitarian and
developmental situation in the north and east. We are committed to
continuing support for these vital objectives through projects
yielding an immediate impact.
We hope that the negotiating process will lead to a permanent end to
the conflict based on the principles of democracy and respect for
human rights, while maintaining Sri Lanka's territorial integrity. We
again salute the Norwegian government's able facilitation of the talks
and the Thai government's hosting of them.
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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)